Chapter 1

My cousin, Sophia Collins, lost her parents and was struggling to make ends meet.

While I was out on a mission, I happened to pass by her school and slipped her some cash.

But she secretly snapped a photo of me without my knowing, and proudly flaunted it during her livestream, grinning from ear to ear.

Sophia said, "My cousin isn't just any cop. She's on a secret mission."

Thanks to my reputation, she blew up online and started raking in sponsorships left and right.

But the cost was that my undercover mission went south, and no one from my squad made it out alive.

When the terrorists made their escape, Sophia, now their leader's latest darling, actually went abroad with them.

Overseas, by cozying up to the leader, she shot to fame as a top internet celebrity.

Not even death could bring me peace.

After time-traveling back, I found myself back on the very day I handed Sophia that cash.

*****

"Thanks, Claire. Take care," Sophia said sweetly behind me.

Suddenly, I broke into a cold sweat.

It felt as if the agony of having every bone crushed by the terrorists still lingered in my body, haunting me with every step.

The unyielding, haunted stares my teammates gave me as they died pierced my heart again and again, each memory sharper than the last.

The last memory burned into my mind was Sophia in a fiery red dress, lips painted a striking shade, being held by the gang leader.

She gave me a pitying glance, then turned and boarded the plane.

"Claire?" Sophia called out.

Seeing me frozen in place, Sophia frowned in confusion.

I whipped around and, with a spinning back kick, sent her phone flying.

"What are you trying to record?" I asked.

I fixed her with a cold, hard stare.

She quickly backed away, startled by my sudden move.

"Claire, what are you doing? Why did you suddenly turn around like that?" Sophia stammered.

In my previous life, I just handed Sophia the cash and walked away, never realizing she'd snapped a pic of me from behind.

That single photo blew up online during her livestream, turning her into an overnight star.

That same night, my target, the gang leader I was undercover with, had me dress up in the exact same outfit and turn around.

Our whole undercover operation crashed and burned, and the entire squad got taken out because of it.

Sophia crouched down to pick up her phone, her voice with a hint of a pout.

"Look what you did, Claire. Now the screen's all busted," she whined.

I darted over, snatched the phone from her, and pulled up the photo gallery.

Right at the top was a shot of my back, just as I expected.

"Uh, Claire, I just wanted to keep a photo so I could look at it whenever I missed you...Ah!" Sophia mumbled, trying to sound all sweet and innocent.

But then I smacked her hard across the face, making her fall to the floor. She stared at me, clutching her cheek, completely stunned.

"Claire, did you really just hit me?" Sophia cried out.

My chest heaved with anger and pain.

All because of that one photo, none of us from the elite squad made it out alive.

She didn't even feel the slightest bit of guilt. To her, being a small-time influencer wasn't enough, so she cozied up to the enemy for more fame and money.

She climbed over the bodies of me and my teammates to board that plane, then went abroad and blew up online as a top influencer.

I yanked Sophia up by her collar and slapped her hard across the face.

I said, "How many times have I told you? How many times has everyone in the family warned you? No photos, no videos, absolutely nothing.

"Don't try to feed me that excuse about missing me.

"Even Mom and Dad won't dare greet me on the street, and they can hold back. So why can't you?

"You really think your phone is more secure than the agency's top secret files?"

Sophia broke down in tears.

She said, "You just think I'm beneath you, don't you? You really believe I'd do something to hurt you?

"I knew it. Ever since I lost my parents, even though your family took me in, nobody ever truly believed in me.

"But I swear, I see you guys as my real family. I just wanted a picture to remind me of you. That's it."

She could play the innocent card all she wanted, since she hadn't actually done anything bad yet.

If I hadn't lost so many teammates in my previous life, maybe seeing my cousin who grew up with me break down like this would've made me let it slide.

But now, I just raised my hand and gave her two hard slaps across the face.

I said, "There are a million ways you could've kept me in your thoughts, but you just had to go for the most reckless one.

"If you actually cared about me, you'd hold yourself back and make sure you never caused me any trouble.

"Am I really that important to you, Sophia? The way you pretend to care just makes me sick."

Every punch landed with a satisfying thud, raw and unforgiving.

Each hit was my way of mourning my comrades who got slaughtered because of her in my previous life.

Sophia's lip was split and bleeding from the blows. When she caught sight of someone at the street corner, she suddenly started to struggle.

"Reed! Guys, help me!" she screamed.